


if i could change your mind

by armario



Category: Wayward Pines (TV)
Genre: M/M, Meaningless Kiss, Mischief, Rarest Reasonable Pairing Ever, Strange methods of expressing gratitude, Theo is so done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-14 01:48:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9151561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/armario/pseuds/armario
Summary: The good doctor is so easy to irk. No one's better at it than Xander. And yet, here they are. Kissing ill-advisedly at the end of life as they know it. It's brilliant.





	

 Xander had this reputation of the cocky, reckless type. It was fair enough, back in his dealing days and as a rash young man trying to find himself in the army, but things change. Especially when you get knocked out, forced into a cryogenically induced coma for two thousand years, and wake up in a strange idyllic town in the middle of a dystopian Earth riddled with vicious creatures and a backwards society.

 The benefit of Wayward Pines was that you could start afresh. No matter what his files said or Pilcher hand-picked him for, Xander was determined to show he could be a good husband and someone to count on in times of need. 

 Something seemed to have snapped inside him since he'd woken up. It was like his hot temper had broken like a piece of elastic stretched too far, making him milder and objective. His sense of humour, albeit often dark, was still intact, however.  
 

 For this reason, Xander developed a bizarre fond admiration for Theodore Yedlin, a.k.a, his wife's husband. Ex-husband, as he took delight in reminding the man. From a non-partisan point of view, Theo was practically inspirational. The way he was handling the crises and the mounting body count. His quiet, resolved determination in shouldering the town's leadership. His acceptance of Xander and Rebekah. The latter was what confused Xander the most. He loved Rebekah, but he didn't doubt Theo did either. That was something they had in common. Theo didn't see it that way- instead he saw red whenever Xander was around- but it was difficult to deny that they had a total understanding of each other, and a strange but practical mutual trust.

 But there was no such logic applicable to that final night; tension high, Jason's death rattling everyone to the core, aberrations gathering just outside the fence, people being granted life or death, rioting in righteous anger and mindless greed. The likes of which these citizens had never seen on these streets. 

 Knowing deep in his heart that Xander wouldn't see Rebekah again if he wasn't taken with the first group, he resigned himself with a desperate sadness to a lonely fate. He'd gotten the girl short-term, but in the long run Theo had won out, with his status as doctor and hatred for Xander. Who could blame him?

 The first thing he thought when Theo turned up in the Jeep was 'forget Beks, I'm marrying this man' and the second was 'Someone take the whiskey off this kid because I sure as hell didn't give it him', but the expression on Theo's face, eyebrows raised, daring him to say something, made his face split into a huge grin. And he caught Theo looking away, choosing to believe it was because he too wanted to smile. 

"I love you, Doc," Xander yelled to the night sky. 

"Shut up," Theodore answered, knuckles white on the wheel, "before I change my mind."

Xander caught Frank's eye in the mirror and winked.

Later, when the adrenaline died down a little, and the anticipation of cryogenic stasis replaced it, Xander cornered Theo in his little office before it all kicked off. 

"Please look after my wife," the doctor said quietly. 

Xander nodded. He stepped forward, feeling exhilarated for one of the first times ever in Wayward Pines. It seems Theo could only ever evoke that reaction in him. He leant closer, bending slightly to meet his height, Theo's expression expectant instead of alarmed, and pressed a kiss lightly to the doctor's lips. 

"That was from her," Xander said, "because she won't do it herself."

Theo made no move to shift away. 

"And this," Xander gripped his wrists, "is from me." He kissed again, gentle in comparison to their last physical contact, which was... a punch to the jaw. He was sure they were both remembering that moment which amused him to no end. Theo barely kissed back, as though he only tolerated it, in a grudging acceptance kind of way. 

 The good doctor was so easy to irk. No one was better at it than Xander. And yet, there they were. Kissing ill-advisedly at the end of life as they knew it. It was brilliant.

"Thank you for saving my life," Xander murmured. "I'm sorry about all this. You deserve to be happy."

When he drew away, he was grinning. Seeing the corners of Theo's mouth draw up in the slightest hint of an answering smile was what gave him the courage to go on after that moment. 

Xander gave a conspiratorial wink, a this-never-happened-if-you-like pat on the back, and hoped for the best. 

It seemed he hadn't lost that reckless streak at all, but it payed off just fine.

**Author's Note:**

> I love them. Rare pairs are a nightmare though. Title from the HAIM song of the same name.


End file.
